Teen used WW2 rifle to shoot deputies

GEORGETOWN, Ind. - A 15-year-old boy used a World War II-era sniper rifle to fatally shoot a deputy and critically wound another outside his southern Indiana home, authorities said Tuesday.

The teen, Tyler Dumstorf, had shot the deputies Monday evening and was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot early Tuesday inside the home about 13 miles outside Louisville, Ky., authorities said.

Dumstorf used the M1 Garand in the shooting, prosecutor Keith Henderson said. He said the boy's father bought the gun some time ago and that he and his son shot it during target practice. The gun is a showpiece, and possessing one is not illegal, the prosecutor said.

"The cause of yesterday's tragedy isn't the weapon. It's the person who fired it," he said.

The deputies had gone to the home to investigate a call from his mother about a confrontation with the boy.

"There was nothing to indicate to the officers that it was anything more than a routine domestic call," Henderson said. He said the boy had been due in court Tuesday on a misdemeanor marijuana charge, adding that hearing was part of the discussion with his mother.

Henderson said it was premature to say it was the reason for the shooting.

As the officers were talking to his mother and an aunt in the driveway, the boy fired from an upstairs window, striking each deputy in the back, he said. Minutes later, Henderson said, the boy posted a message on his Web page that said: "I just killed two cops. Goodbye."

White was able to return fire, but none of his shots hit Dumstorf, Henderson said. The prosecutor referred to the deputies as "sitting ducks" and said they had no chance to protect themselves.

Deputy Frank Denzinger, a four-year veteran of the sheriff's department, died hours after the shooting, Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said. Deputy Joel White, who has been with the department 17 months, was hospitalized Tuesday in serious condition, Mills said.

Sheriff's Lt. Frank Loop said the boy's mother was not injured.

Dumstorf had just completed his freshman year at Floyd Central High School in nearby Floyds Knobs, said school spokesman Dave Rarick. He gave no other information about the boy, citing federal privacy laws.

Entries on Dumstorf's MySpace page indicated he was an honors student and that he liked classic rock.

At least they didn't call it an assault rifle. On the other hand this may spark some to try and ban "sniper rifles" now.

It was a while back that a poacher got busted around here and as I was watching the local evening news they called his weapon of choice a sniper rifle as well, it was a Parker-Hale .303 sporter.

But just so as not to get too far off topic, a police officer was killed and another wounded. Can I ask that we take the high road, forget about the BS in the media, and at least offer a prayer for these officers.

im really beginning to think that it doesnt matter what kind of firearm a criminal uses, the media would report it out to the general public as a highly dangerous and illegal weapon of mass killing. i wonder what they would say if someone took thier grandfathers antique sharps off the wall and killed a cop or 2 with that. i just wish theyd cast blame where blame is due. it takes a murderer to commit a murder. a firearm is merely a very misunderstood, finely crafted, well oiled tool, caught in the middle of a onesided debate over right and wrong...

A year ago or so we had a tragic situation in Indianapolis where some crazy guy with an SKS mounted with a 30 rd mag and a bipod killed a cop, which was bad enough, UNTIL I actually heard a TV station report that "The SKS is a higher powered assault and sniper weapon derived from the AK-47."

To their credit after I called their newsroom and "corrected them" they didn't use that line again.

But I never figured that one out, unless the reporter simply made it up? At least in Indiana, I would think our LEOs wouldn't have said that or put it in a report, although I HAVE run into many cops elsewhere that really knew NOTHING about most guns, and just a little about the one they carried!

Like Us On Facebook!

The Firearms Forum is on online community for all gun enthusiasts. Join us to discuss firearms of all kinds, gun accessories, legal issues and more. Membership is free and we welcome all types of shooters, whether you're a novice or a pro. Come for the info, stay and make some friends.